Racket or the like



Dec. 10, 1940. REACH 2,224,567

' RACKET OR THE LIKE F iled June 20, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /7//700 5.Reva/7 Dec. 10', 1940. M. B. REACH 2,224,567

RACKET OR THE LIKE FiledvJune 20, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheef 2 um/M411 8Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RACKET OR THE LIKEMilton B. Reach, Springfield, Mass.

Application June 20, 1939, Serial No. 280,159

13 Claims.

: in operations of manufacture with uniformity of product that does notexist under present orthodox methods of assembly.

The weak part of a racket is that area where the bow merges and joinsthe handle or throat portion, and one of the principalobjectives of thisinvention is to give the strength of metal to that area withoutdetracting from the playing qualities of the racket, and to provide aunion of metal and wood in this area of a permanent form free from anyplay or chatter.

Very narrow limitations of weight are imposed in this type of athleticimplement, and the combination of metal and wood incorporating requisitestrength and lightness is one of the objects accomplished by theapplicants type of assembly.

The following is a description of the means by which the desired resultsare accomplished.

In the drawings Figure 1 shows a bow of a racket made according to andembodying features of my invention.

Figs. 2 and 2c are views of a yoke member forming connecting meansbetween the bow and the handle of the racket. Figs. 2a, 2b, and 2d aresectional views of details of the yoke member of Figs. 2 and 20, onlines AA, B-B, and D-D, respectively, and slightly enlarged.

Fig. 3 shows a ferrule or thimble also preferably forming a part of theconnection. Fig. 3c is a section on line CC of Fig. 3, slightlyenlarged. Y

Fig. 4 is a view of the handle or grip of the racket. Fig. M is aslightly enlarged section on line D-D of Fig. 4.

Fig. 5 is a view of the assembled racket frame, with stringing partlyshown.

Fig. 6 shows an alternative construction employing rivets. Fig. 6a is adetail of the rivet.

Fig. '7 is a view of a unitary bow or head member in the form of aclosed curve and made of two pieces or strips of material.

In the ordinary type of racket, the bow of the frame'is manufacturedwith a stem extension that forms the handle portion, or, in someinstances, a part of the handle portion which is supplemented with anadditional gripping section of desired size and shape.

I propose to separate this manufacture into two distinct units. A bowsection I, which I plan to make preferably of one long strip of thinfibrous material, like wood, wound around upon itself into a desiredoval or circular form, the different convolutions being cemented orglued one upon the other to produce a unitary whole, as seen in Figurel, of laminated form.

The method of doing this forms the subject 5 matter of a separateapplication, but it will be readily understood that these bows fashionedin an endless form permit facility of manufacture in the variousshaping, drilling and sanding operations, as multiple units maybe gangedto- 10 gether and worked uponas a group'with perfectly uniform results.Also-in the subsequent varnishing, finishing and stringing operationsthese stemless bows lend themselves to greatest ease of handling. 1,5-

It is not desired to limit the invention to a bow comprising a singlestrip of material Wound upon itself in the exact form shown with ends ofthe strip at the same end of the bow, as it will be apparent that theends of the strip may be disposed at opposite ends of the .bow, orotherwise about the bow, or may be made of more than one strip ofmaterial, the invention concerning a stemless bow in the form of aclosed curve which desirably may be made of fibrous material, such aswood, wound upon itself in laminated form, although it may be made ofother material. A bow made of two strips of material is shown in Fig.'7, and desirably comprises two pieces of bent wood, one within the 3other, and tapered down at opposite ends of the bow to preserve uniformwidth, the outside bow member or piece being of full width at the topand tapering down to nothing where it is to be received within a metalyoke member which will protect the thinned parts.

Following the manufacture of the bow portion, there is assembled theretoa yoke element -2 (Fig. 2) preferably formed from a thin strong metalalloy in a shape to fit the bow portion. Prefer- .4

ably I line the inside channel of this thin pressed metal yoke with alining member 3 desirably of rubberized fabric which is vulcanized tothe metal by established practices, such as by using a material, such asthat known as thermoprene.

Thermoprene may be described as a product of the general type of thatproduced by the reaction of rubber with an agent selected from the groupconsisting of sulfuric acid, sulfonic acids, and

sulfonyl chlorides. It is not desired, however, to so restrict theinvention to the use of this particular bonding material.

. I then roughen the surface'of this lining member or fabric by asanding operation and coat it with a suitable adhesive to produce a goodstrong union with the bow portion under pressure, the bow portiondesirably being of wood or other nonmetallic material. An alternatemethod of riveting or bolting, as indicated in Fig. 6, may be assumed,but I prefer the chatter-free solidity and unity of a glued or cementedjoint between the rubberized cloth or fabric lining and the bow portion,although there is presented in a bolted or riveted connection anopportunity to repair a racket having broken strings by substituting acomplete new bow portion at a relatively slight increase in cost.

The metal yoke 2 preferably has extruded from its bottom surface, ashort shoulder-like section 4 of a suitable shape, desirablysubstantially a flat oval shape, over which may be brazed, or otherwiseapplied, a formed flanged thimble 5 (Fig. 3), which acts as a supportfor the hollow metal handle section 6, which may be pushed over thereduced end 5a of the thimble. Desirably I may use thermoprene or thelike, and apply rubberized fabric I to the outside of the shoulder 5a ofthe thimble, and the handle portion 6 may be driven over this and heldby friction.

The handle portion 6 I prefer to make from a seamless alloy tubingmaterial with suitably thin walls, drawing the upper end to whatevercrosssection shape may prove of current style (at present the taste runsto an extreme streamline appearance) and forming the lower or grip end6a into the fiat sided forms prevailing in the various types of racketsof this period. I then propose to cover the grip section of the handlewith leather having multiple perforations to provide an aerated gripsection to insure a comfortable, dry gnp.

It may be noted that in shaping the stem of the handle sections, itscross-section diameters may be designed to move the whip of the rackettoward the bow or reverse, and that balance may also be controlled tosome extent in this design.

In all types of rackets, the essentials of manufacture, comprising anendless and stemless and unitary bow portion in combination with ahandle portion and a metal yoke connecting the two, prevail, and it isin these broad essentials that I claim new improvements in the art ofthis manufacture.

Where riveting or bolting 9 is used to secure the yoke to the bow orhead, as indicated in Fig. 6, a compressible lining member 10 such as ofrubber or fabric or the like may preferably be employed between the yokeand the bow to prevent chatter under impact. The rivets 9 may desirablybe of a standard light tubular form, such as comprising two telescopingcylinders, with the inner and longer one passing through the other, andwith its end upset until both parts are drawn tightly against theirrespective shoulders.

It is conceivable that by the present invention assembly of the racketcan be made so cheaply that the head or how may be readily replaced, aswhen string breakage occurs, by inserting a new bow or head alreadystrung at the factory, instead of having restringing operationsperformed at stations all over the country. The invention thuscontemplates also a unitary endless stemless bow which may be strungprior to assembly with the yoke and handle of the racket.

Preferably, however, the racket is strung after the bow is assembledwith the metal yoke, in which case the yoke is provided withperforations II to receive the string.

It is not desired to restrict the invention to the yoke member 2,thimble 5, and handle 6 being made separate, as it will be apparent thatthese parts could be made in one piece, or in two pieces, instead ofthree, if desired, without departing from the invention.

The channel shaped yoke member 2 preferably has a corrugation orreentrant portion in its bottom providing a raised portion or groove 8,which provides a recess for the string to lie in where the stringing isdone after assembly of the bow and yoke, and the corrugation 8 alsoreduces the strain of impact against the side of the yoke, at

' the same time increasing the area of the gluing surface.

The'bow is grooved as indicated at I2 to conform to the raised bead orcorrugation.

I claim:

l. A racket or the like comprising a bow or head of wood or the likeconsisting of a closed curve, a member of metal or the like secured to acircumferential part of the closed curved bow or head at the handle sideof said bow or head, and providing the strength of metal at the area ofunionwith the closed curved wooden bow with requisite lightness, andhandle means connected with said metal member, said metal member beingof channel form receiving a portion of said closed curved bow or head,said metal channel member being secured to said closed curved wood bowportion by a lining member interposed between them and secured to both.

2. A racket or the like comprising a bow or head of wood or the likeconsisting of a closed curve, a member of metal or the like secured to acircumferential part of the closed curved bow or head at the handle sideof said how or head, and providing the strength of metal at the area ofunion with the closed curved wooden bow with requisite lightness,and'handle means connected with said metal member, said metal memberbeing of curved channel form receiving a portion of said closed curvedbow or head and embracing the same, a lining member in said metalchannel member disposed between it and the said wood bow or head portionand secured to both, said connecting lining being adhesively secured tothe curved wood bow and vulcanized to the metal channel member. v p

3. A racket or the like comprising a complete unitary bow or headconsisting of a closed curve of material in strip form providinglaminations and reduced lapped portions, a thin pressed metal membersecured to a circumferential part of the laminated closed curved bow orhead at the handle side of said bow or head, said metal member providingmetallic strength at the area of union with the closed curved laminatedbow with requisite lightness, and handle means connected with saidmember, said metal member having a stem portion, a metal thimble securedto said stem portion as by brazing or the like, and a tubular metalhandle secured tosaid thimble, said thimble having rubberized fabricvulcanized thereto, and said tubular metal handle being driven thereoverin a friction connection.

4. A racket or the like comprising a'bow or head in the form of a closedcurve, a thin pressed metal member secured to a circumferential part ofthe closed curved bow or head at the handle side of said bow or head,said metal member having a curved portion of channel shape conforming toand receiving said closed curved bow or head, and providing the strengthof metal at the area of union with the closed curved bow with requisitelightness, and handle means connected with said member, said metalchannel member having a corrugation or raised bead formed in its bottomsaid bow being grooved to correspond.

5. A racket or the like, according to claim 1 in which said metalchannel member is additionally secured to said wood bow by rivets or thelike, extending through the side walls of the channel and bow, saidlining member being of rubberized fabric and preventing chatter.

6. As an article of manufacture, a complete bow or head for a racket orthe like consisting of a closed hoop composed of a plurality oflaminations of material in strip form wound one upon another, saidlaminations being continuously curved in the same direction, saidcomplete laminated closed bow or hoop including reduced strip ends, saidreduced strip ends being lapped upon an adjacent portion of said stripmaterial and providing a lapped reduced strip end constituting a part ofthe inner peripheral surface of said complete laminated closed bow hoopand another lapped reduced strip end portion constituting a part of theouter peripheral surface of said complete bow.

7. An article of manufacture according to claim 6 in which said completeclosed curved bow or head for a racket or the like, comprises inner andouter strips of material, the widest central portion of the length ofthe outer strip being disposed adjacent the top side of the bow andhaving tapered reduced end portions disposed adjacent the handle side ofthe bow, the inner strip being in a reverse relation with the widestcentral portion of its length adjacent the handle side of the bow andits tapered reduced ends adjacent the top portion of the bow, anddisposed within the outer strip.

8. An article of manufacture according to claim 6 in which said completebow hoop comprises laminations of wood or like fibrous material in stripform.

9. A racket or the like comprising a complete unitary bow or headconsisting of a closed hoop composed of a plurality of laminations ofwood or like non-metallic fibrous material in strip form wound one uponanother, said laminations being continuously curved in the samedirection, said complete laminated closed bow or hoop including reducedstrip ends, said reduced strip ends being lapped upon an adjacentportion of said strip: material and providing a lapped reduced strip endconstituting a part of the inner peripheral surface of said-completelaminated closed bow hoop and another lapped reduced end portionconstituting a part of the outer peripheral surface of said completebow, a thin metal member secured to a circumferential part of thecomplete laminated closed hoop or bow at the handle side of said bow andproviding metallic strength and requisite lightness at the area of unionwith the laminated closed hoop, and handle means connected with saidthin metal member.

10. A racket according to claim 9 in which a reduced lapped strip endportion of said unitary laminated closed hoop or bow is disposed on theoutside of the bow'at the handle side of said how and is engaged andprotected by. the thin metal member.

' 11. A racketor the like according to claim 9 in which said thin metalmember comprises a yoke having a channel shaped portion curved toreceive and conform to a peripheral portion of said unitary laminatednon-metallic closed hoop or bow and a stem portion extendingsubstantially centrally from said channel shaped portion, and handlemeans connected with the stem portion of said yoke.

12. A racket or the like according to claim 9 in which said thin metalmember comprises a yoke having a channel shaped portion curved toreceive and conform to a peripheral portion of said unitary laminatednon-metallic closed hoop or bow and a stem portion extendingsubstantially centrally from said channel shaped portion, a tubularmetal handle, and a metal thimble or ferrule secured to and connectingsaid stem portion and said tubular metal handle.

13. A racket or the like according to claim 9 in which said complete bowhoop comprises laminations of wood or like fibrous material in stripform.

MILTON B. REACH.

